Bixby Knolls officially becomes off-freeway attraction

Nine signs that indicate the location of the Bixby Knolls neighborhood have been placed alongside the 405 Freeway, facing northbound and southbound traffic.

What started as a line item on a wish list 10 years ago came to fruition recently when Bixby Knolls received directional signs on the 405 Freeway.
“There are now nine signs directing people north on Atlantic and Long Beach Boulevard into our business district,” said Blair Cohn, executive director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association (BKBIA). “This was a long time coming, but we are thrilled to see that drivers will now know where Bixby Knolls is located. We have received many phone calls and emails from area residents about how happy they are to ‘finally be recognized.’”
The Redevelopment Agency (RDA) revisited a 1993 HyettPalma Study, which outlined design and marketing recommendations for Bixby Knolls, according to Cohn. The freeway signage was one of the recommendations in the study. The RDA brought the consultants back two years ago to update the study and create a current Bixby Knolls work plan. The BKBIA is now working from a “to do” list from this plan to promote the business district as well as to make capital improvements to buildings, new landscaping and promotional materials.
“The process for getting the signage was somewhat daunting, but there was a big team effort to get it done,” Cohn said. “Councilmembers Gabelich and Johnson, City Manager Pat West, City Traffic Engineer Dave Roseman, Tony Foster from RDA, and the city council worked to get the approvals necessary with Cal Trans to move the project forward.”
After Cal Trans had received all the necessary approvals from the City and the funding from RDA, the signs were to be installed in another four months. One by one, signs would appear on the freeway, and now all nine proposed signs are in place facing north and south on the 405 Freeway.
“This is another one of the layers to our improvements to the area. The directional signage leads you off the freeway to our Boy Scout landscape projects, the new Fresh & Easy that will be opened soon, our new Bixby Knolls banners, and up into the business district where many of the buildings are receiving façade improvements as part of our work plan,” Cohn said. “It is very satisfying to have a project like this be completed and be an anchor for our momentum within the business district and neighborhoods.”